A consultant paediatrician, who was struck off the medical register after he allegedly accused a grieving mother of murdering her son, has won the latest round in his legal battle to save his career.

A council was criticised for the way it investigated complaints that a young boy was left alone with a convicted child abuser, it was reported today.

A second bishop was dramatically removed from the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland over child sex abuse scandals tonight, with another three senior clerics expected to face the same fall from grace.

Social workers should be under a legal duty to see any children who might be at risk on their own during the course of a protection inquiry, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said today.

Why should the full version of the serious case review of the Edlington child torturers be withheld from publication? It was instructive how Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, chose to defend its suppression, on BBC 2's Newsnight on Friday. First he said it was a matter for Ofsted, the education regulator, which has recently extended its remit from schools to children's social services. Ofsted said that the serious case review was a good report, said Mr Balls, and it said that the executive summary, which has been published, was a good report. As if that should be the end of the matter.

The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne is improving in hospital and has started to talk again, it was disclosed today.

An urgent review has been ordered after a confidential child protection report drawn up by staff at the council involved in the Baby P scandal was left on a train, a spokesman for the authority said today.

The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne was in a "life-threatening condition" today after being rushed to hospital with complications after brain surgery.

A Government plan to crack down on parents who educate their children at home will be rejected today by MPs.

A girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world is still too inexperienced to be allowed to set off on her quest, a court ruled yesterday.

Channel 4 has been cleared of putting child welfare at risk with a series in which under-12s lived without adults for a fortnight, prompting a flood of complaints.